A hailstorm coupled with rain lashed the district on Saturday evening, damaging different crops including boro paddy, sesames, jute and chillies.

According to the Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) in Boalmari upazila, some 2,135 hectares of jute were damaged by the hailstorm while 400 hectares of jute were fully damaged by the storm.

Besides, paddy of 73 hectares of land, chilies of 12 hectares of land, nine hectares land of sesame and 15 hectares of vegetables were also damaged during the storm.

Pritam Kumar, a DAE official of Boalmari upazila, said Satoir and Ghoshpur union of the district were the worst affected areas.

Preparation of a list of affected people is underway, he said.

Meanwhile, the storms also damaged 111 hectares of jute field of Ashapur and municipality headquarters of Madhukhali upazila at the same time.

Ashutosh Biswas, a farmer of Ghoshpur village in Boalmari upazila, said “I have brought 12 bighas of land under jute cultivation but hailstorm damaged my corps.”

Nurul Islam Molla, another jute grower, of Kadirdi village also claimed that the strom damaged his jute corps.

Majibur Rahman, chairman of Satoir Union, said many corps were damaged while hundred houses have been damaged during the storm in the union, affecting 1,000 families.

Kartik Chandra Chakraborty, deputy director of district DAE, said “500 hectares of jute in the two upazilas have been fully damaged. Necessary steps will be taken to provide assistance to those affected by the storm after getting incentive from the government.”